Rescue
by madeofchalk
Summary: Caroline often wonders why she always ends up as collateral damage – maybe; just maybe, it's the blonde hair (or Rebekah and Marcel's great idea to survive). Klaroline One Shot!


Rescue

_~ I'd be happy just to sit and wait, for a while_

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.

There are times like these where she thinks (haven't you learned your lesson and what makes you think that you can take a merry stroll on your college campus without getting abducted and shoved inside a random car that just appeared) that maybe life, as a vampire, isn't for her.

"What did you do to piss Klaus off now?" The car veers off just a bit from the road. Rebekah is the one driving and the man (one she doesn't know and Rebekah really is a blonde kidnapping bitch with more true loves that Caroline has had birthdays).

"It's none of your concern." The other blonde snaps, regaining control of the steering wheel. But it's bad – so bad that this time Rebekah won't make it without a hostage. For once, Caroline is glad not to have any siblings.

"Are you running for family of the year again?" This time, her snarky comment is met with a chuckle. Rebekah shoots a poisonous look to the man next to her and he merely shrugs his shoulders. Caroline's been in enough life or death situations that she just knows how this is going to end.

This is going to be a long road trip (one she doesn't want to take).

.

.

"They've taken Caroline!" Stefan is pissed and his voice carries inside the luxurious manor the Mikaelson built three hundred years ago. He barges in without an invitation while Elijah is still tending to the nasty cut on his brother's stomach. Klaus stirs.

"Good evening to you too, Stefan." Elijah is always the pleasant host.

"Cut it out. Rebekah left me a message on Caroline's cellphone about three hours ago. What did she do this time?" He takes a look at Klaus and at Elijah's blood stained shirt and he sighs loudly. "You and your family feuds."

"What do you mean?" Stefan paces around them (because that's what he does when he's pissed and worried and why is it always Caroline, why always his best friends). He doesn't care that he's interrupting or that Klaus looks like he's on his deathbed.

Whatever he has to do, he'll get her back.

"Rebekah took Caroline, probably as leverage for whatever small war you've got going on." It's an accusatory tone, one Klaus doesn't like. But he understands; he should have seen this coming.

.

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"I'm Marcel." The man introduces himself a few miles later, while he is the one driving. They haven't made one stop yet and Caroline is compelled to sit still. She picks the polish off her nails.

"That's nice." But really, she couldn't care less. The man truly looks sorry that she's stuck here, but it doesn't matter to her. Caroline often wonders why she's always the collateral damage – maybe; just maybe, it's the blonde hair.

.

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"Freedom in exchange for Caroline." Elijah says slowly, to make sure his brother understands.

'So what will it be?' Her voice teases in his head. 'Me or your stupid revenge fantasy?' Rebekah shouldn't be allowed to live another day without suffering for all of her sins, but Caroline doesn't deserve to die for this. Stefan looks at him expectantly, but Klaus has already made his decision.

It causes him great pain to even speak.

"Tell Rebekah we'll do it." Elijah looks at him with surprised eyes and Stefan nods his head slowly, not sure whether to be happy or impressed. "But tell her, no warn her, that the next time I see her, I will show no mercy."

They will pay for this.

.

.

"You summoned Mikael!" The exchange is to happen in exactly ten minutes from now. Rebekah turns a cold stare towards her, but Caroline is in too much disbelief to shut her mouth. "You wanted Klaus to die." In all of their adventures, Caroline never wished Klaus dead. Buried, yes and for away from any of them and small children also. But Rebekah has crossed a line here.

Caroline doesn't know if that makes her insane.

She wants to say more, but a black SUV pulls up a few feet away from them.

"I hope I never have to see you again." Rebekah utters loudly while under Caroline's judgemental gaze. Stefan steps out of the vehicle, hands clenched into fists. She stands alone in the middle, the exchange price for a foreign concept.

"Likewise." And with that she rushes towards Stefan who pulls her into a crushing hug.

"Thanks for coming." She whispers, because Elena and Bonnie are busy and Caroline being kidnapped is just another Saturday afternoon routine. She's the odd one out, the easy target.

"I always will." He answers into her hair. She's sunshine captured in a body, with sunflower hair and accepting. Caroline realizes Klaus chose her over revenge (a revenge she expected him to never give up).

It makes her stomach churn.

.

.

"Miss Forbes." Elijah is pleasant as always. "I must apologies for my sister." She shrugs because it's life and she's done this many times and at least, she won't have to throw out another shirt because it's stained with vervain and blood.

"My brother would very much like to see you." She shoots Stefan a look and he nods slowly because he knows about this weird bond her best friend formed with the Original vampire.

"Lead the way." Hey, it's only Saturday and no one died yet, so why not. At this point, nothing makes sense and this thing that churns in her stomach actually lightens up at the prospect of seeing Klaus.

.

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Niklaus awakes to the smell of sunflowers in his room (it's always blood that surrounds the darkness, but sunflowers are light and he takes a moment to bask in it). He feels a hand on his forehead. Someone ticks and the touch is gone. He opens his eyes slowly.

He feels a cool, wet cloth on his forehead.

"Look who finally decided to wake up." He can't decide if he's hallucinating or if she's really there, tending to him like he's never dreamed her capable of doing. But when the haze is gone and she remains, he knows.

"Caroline." Her smile doesn't light up her whole face, but her eyes still shine and she's very much beautiful. Klaus wants to raise his hand to touch her, but she shakes her head. "Come on, you should rest." She stops his hand midway, clasps her own on top of his and strokes it with her thumb.

"I did it for you." Still stroking his hand (and the fever, it somewhat subsides and how long has it been since he's been of this bed and into the world, the physical pain is enough to erase betrayal for a while) she lulls him to sleep.

"You chose right." And he falls.

.

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"I think I'm going to stick around." Now that Elena is back, Katherine is dead for good and everything seems to be settled she's not needed as much. Stefan nods because in a way he understands.

"I'll stay with you." Elena is with Damon now, still fighting for him and it's a good thing and with him out of the way Damon has a better shot. Her best friend is selfless when it comes to his brother. She hopes Damon knows that someone really loves him.

"Okay." She nods and sips her tea.

.

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"He's not in love with me, you know." Caroline isn't that bothered by Haley's pregnancy and it somewhat makes her weaker and wiser. She has someone to look out for now, something Caroline won't ever get to experience in her life (and she's not that saddened with it and she wonders if that makes her a terrible, terrible person).

"I know." She offers Hayley some medicinal tea. Elijah is so strict, always worrying about his niece growing inside that little stomach. "And besides, I know how Elijah and you look at each other." Hayley chokes. Caroline may be blonde, but she is not stupid.

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"You're still here." He's freshly showered and out of bed and it's been ten days of constant pain and suffering. She stands in front of him, with a book while he strolls inside the living room feeling alive.

"I thought I'd stick around, keep you all out of trouble." He smiles, goes to sit next to her. She's reading that book about old nurseries he'd stolen from a midwife in the late seventeen hundred. "You should have told me." But she's not angry, he knows what she looks like when she's mad and this is not it.

"You had enough on your hands." He's the only one who acknowledges she has an actual part to play in Mystic Falls. "But you're not angry with me." She closes the book.

"I don't see why I would be." He wants to touch her. It's an ever-growing need, always wanting more of her. He'd thought their little adventure in the woods would satisfy it, but it only seemed to increase it day by day.

"Stay with me for a while." She nods.

.

.

He tries to forget, for her sake (Marcel and Rebekah and their betrayal and he never admits how much it hurts, tries to hide it away with snarky comments when Elijah tries to bring it up).

She'll never tell him, but sometimes she thinks he should have taken his revenge (regardless of what he would lose).

But she keeps quiet, holds his hand when the walk down Bourbon street (as if they are actually something) and sleeps next to him at night even though she has her own bedroom right next to his (she pretends it doesn't mean anything, merely sees it as her duty because this time, he really did save her).

One morning while she's sipping coffee outside with Stefan, Elijah mentions lightly how it's been almost a month since Klaus killed anyone. She doesn't see anything.

Sometimes, she wakes up before him. She usually finds Stefan already outside, watching the raising sun with a fresh pot made of coffee to warm him up (he's cold from the inside out and he suffers). She often reminds him this is only a passing moment.

"It doesn't have to be." He tells her, always. But Caroline knows one thing – nothing good ever remains.

Not with her.

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"I wanted a kingdom for you, my queen."

He wanted loyalty – a family, but he was rewarded with betrayal and ache. He pushes a hand through her hair like he always does these days.

She laughs.

"I never wanted a kingdom, Klaus." And maybe, just maybe what she says is true and she means it (because somewhere buried inside of her is a wide-eyed seven year old who still believes in prince charming and happy endings).

"I love you." Her breath itches, but he catches her off guard and bends down to kiss her. Caroline… Caroline is hopeless and caught and this connection, this connection can't last, but it does in a way. When he pulls away, she's still in a daze.

He needs her (and well, for once she's happy to give).

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**A/N : It's not much, just an idea I had after watching the latest episode of The Originals. Caroline and Klaus deserve a somewhat happy ending, I think so. Anyways, let me know what you think since it's the first time I shipped those two. Thanks for reading!**


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